What To Look For When Hiring a Realtor

Your home search will only be as good and successful as your realtor: if you’ve never had to hire one before, here are some tips, courtesy of Fripp Island Real Estate, on how to pick the right realtor for you.

Referrals

It can be hard to get to know an agent based on their ad online. If you have a friend or family member who recently worked with a real estate agent, ask them for a referral. Talking with recent clients is also a great way to rule out companies and agents you don’t want to work with.

Heed the warning if you have a friend who said they had a terrible experience with one particular agent or agency. Sure, it could have been a fluke situation, but you don’t want to take the risk.

If you’re curious about an agent, but don’t personally know anyone who’s recently worked with him or her, see if their website includes client testimonials.

Specialists

Many real estate companies hire tons of people to cover large areas of land. But when you’re looking for a home in a specific neighborhood, it’s best to choose an agent that specializes in the area. The same goes for sellers.

For example, John Lee from Fripp Real Estate, has been a resident of Fripp Island for many years. In that time, he’s worked with over 400 buyers and sellers to help them find their dream home, or sell their home on the island.

When you choose an agent who not only lives in the area you want to buy, but has been an agent for that specific town for many years, you’re gaining a wealth of knowledge. He or she will know the real estate market inside and out, and can help point you in the direction of a good or a bad deal. He or she may have even worked with the buyer or seller before, and give you advice on how to speed up the process and get what you want out of the deal.

Find Them Online

Bank Rate says that you shouldn’t take their word for it that they’re licensed; check your target state’s regulatory board to make sure that your agent is properly licensed. You may also be able to find history on any disciplinary or legal actions that could be a red flag.

An agent who lies to you about their accreditation is not an agent you want to work with.

Current Listings

After you ensure that your agent has the proper paperwork, check out their online listings. You can check out the agent’s website, or look on popular home buying sites like Zillow, to see what properties are currently up for sale under the agent’s name.

Check to see if your price range matches up with some of his or her properties; if they are all multi-million dollar homes, and you want to keep the purchase price around $300,000, it might be best to go with another agent. An agent who doesn’t typically buy and sell in your price range won’t be an expert on your particular bracket of the real estate market.

Ask About Marketing

US News and World Report says that selling a home comes down to the agent’s marketability. Ask your potential agent how he or she plans to market your home. Will they hire a professional photographer? Do they recommend home staging? What sites will the photos be posted to? How many open houses should you expect?

Have a Meeting

Whether you’re buying a home or selling one, there’s no doubt about it that you’ll be spending a lot of time with your agent—there will be long negotiations, tours of homes and neighborhoods, and discussions via phone calls and emails, potentially for a couple weeks until you find the right fit.

It’s important to make sure that you and your agent get along. It may sound silly, but if your agent has a different style than you do, it could make the process cumbersome. Choose someone who’s direct, if you appreciate that quality. If you’re looking for someone to be a bystander, and just show you homes so that you can make your own decision, look for someone with a more passive approach.

The key is to choose someone who you get along with, but won’t be uncomfortable having discussions about money and offers with. Pick someone that you can see yourself spending the day with in the car, checking out homes for sale in the neighborhood.

Move to Fripp Island & Choose Island Life

Have you been searching for the perfect home in the perfect town, and coming up empty? It’s time to consider island life. If you’re thinking about relocating to Fripp Island, John Lee is an expert agent—click here to check out his featured listings, and give him a call today at 843-575-2820.